Overweight and obesity represent the prevalent nutritional problem in the developed countries. According to World Health Organization estimates, more than 300 million adults are obese worldwide. In general, energy intake exceeding energy expenditures for a longer time results in abnormal body weight gain leading, at first, to overweight, later, obesity. In case of adults, overweight is characterized by a body mass index of 25-30 kg/m2, while a body mass index of above 30 kg/m2 indicates obesity.
Food intake and energy expenditure are normally matched over time. The biological system that controls energy homeostasis evolved, principally, to protect against weight loss during times of limited nutrient availability rather than weight gain during periods of food excess. Inherent biological defense against weight gain such as that conveyed by an elevated plasma level remained relatively undeveloped. [Leibel R. L.: The role of leptin in the control of body weight, Nutr. Rev., 60, S15-S19, discussion: S68-S87; Flier J. S., Clinical review 94: What's in a name? In search of leptin's physiologic role. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., 83, 1407-1413, (1998); Berthoud H. R.: Mind versus metabolism in the control of food intake and energy balance, Physiol. Behav., 81, 781-793 (2004).]Therefore, once adaptive gene variants are implicated in weight gain when they are expressed in individuals living in an obesigenic environment, e.g., one that is characterized by ready availability of highly palatable, energy-rich foods and by minimal demand for physical activity. On the same way, insufficient or defective adiposity feedback signaling by hormones such as leptin can contribute to common forms of obesity. Thus, weight gain under certain nutrient load that is compensated in normal individuals can be referred to as pathological or abnormal weight gain.
Overweight and obesity are associated with hypertension and abnormal metabolic changes such as insulin resistance and dyslipidemia which are risk factors for diabetes. Obesity (particularly abdominal obesity), insulin resistance and dyslipidemia are major features of “pre-diabetes” (metabolic syndrome) that leads to Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diabetes is accompanied by increased mortality due to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Thus, it can be stated that obesity predisposes to diseases of high risk such as Type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, osteoarthritis, formation of gall stones and various malignant diseases.
O-(3-piperidino-2-hydroxy-1-propyl)-nicotinic amidoxime) (abbreviated as BGP-15) was patented in 1976 as a new compound useful in the treatment of diabetic angiopathy, a complication of diabetes resulting in the damage of blood vessels (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,220). The structure of BGP-15 is shown below.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,306,878 refers to a method for the protection of the mitochondrial genome and/or mitochondrion from damage leading to myopathies and neurodegenerative diseases which comprises administering an effective non-toxic dose to a patient susceptible to such damage of an amidoximic acid derivative including BGP-15. A preferred myopathy is cardiomyopathy. Neurodegenerative diseases include Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,458,371 refers to a composition comprising 0.1-30% of a hydroximic acid derivative including BGP-15 as the active ingredient and a carrier that is in the form of a cream, lotion, foam or spray. The composition is suitable for reducing the incidence of photodamage by radiation with UV-B.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,884,424 refers to a method for preventing actinic keratosis by applying a hydroximic acid derivative including BGP-15 to the affected skin surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,451,851 refers to a method of treating a patient suffering from a viral infection comprising administering to the patient a pharmaceutically effective amount of a known antivirally active agent together with a hydroximic acid derivative including BGP-15.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,440,998 refers to a pharmaceutical composition having antitumor activity with reduced side effect comprising cisplatin or carboplatin and a hydroximic acid derivative including BGP-15.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,955 refers to a pharmaceutical composition having antitumor activity with reduced side effect comprising paclitaxel or docetaxel and a hydroximic acid derivative including BGP-15.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,720,337 refers to a pharmaceutical composition having antitumor activity with reduced side effect comprising oxaliplatin and a hydroximic acid derivative including BGP-15.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,838,469 refers to a pharmaceutical composition having antitumor activity with reduced side effect comprising pyrimidine derivatives and BGP-15.
PCT Patent Application WO 00/07580 disclosed experimental data for the antidiabetic effect of BGP-15 in the treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus. It is to be noted that type 1 diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disease occurring at young age, while type 2 diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease occurring at higher age.
PCT Application WO 03/007951 refers to a pharmaceutical combination of hydroximic acid derivatives including BGP-15 and an antidiabetic or anti-hyperlipidemic active agent for the prevention or treatment of a prediabetic state, metabolic X-syndrome or diabetes mellitus as well as disorders which are associated with the states listed above, namely endogenic metabolic disorders, insulin resistance, dislipidemia, alopecia, diffuse effluvium and/or female endocrine disorders based on androgenic preponderance. In the description, laboratory data indicate that BGP-15 enhances, synergistically, the effect of the known antidiabetic agent metformin and troglitazone, respectively. The laboratory data also show that BGP-15 in itself enhances the insulin sensitivity (thus, reduces the insulin resistance) in both normal and hyper-cholesterolemic animals relative to the control.
PCT Application WO 2005/122678 refers to the use of BGP-15 in a pharmaceutical composition having prokinetic effect (i.e. induces activity in the stomach and intestines. Prokinetic effect includes possible treatment of reflux esophagitis, gastroparesis, influencing bile flow from the gall bladder etc.
PCT Application WO 2005/123049 refers to the use of BGP-15 for mitochondrial genesis, i.e., to increase the number of mitochondria in the cells resulting in a roborating effect.
PCT Application WO 2006/079910 refers to the use of BGP-15 for the treatment of lesions in the oral cavity, especially periodontal disease.